Download AFAR Sponsors Scientific Conference Focusing on a Healthier

For Immediate Release
Contact: Fred Yaeger (914) 525-9198
AMERICAN FEDERATION FOR AGING RESEARCH (AFAR)
SPONSORS SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
FOCUSING ON A HEALTHIER LONGER HEALTHSPAN
World Scientists Explore How the Science of Aging is Increasing Knowledge
Addressing One of the Leading Public Health Challenges of our Time
EVENT – New York, NY: The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)
www.afar.org Scientific Conference to be held on Monday, October 4th 2010 at The Union Club
in New York City will highlight new and exciting discoveries in the understanding of major
metabolic pathways associated with the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling and how these
insights relate to the regulation of aging.
What does this mean for us? Scientists agree that compounds like these will pave the way for
breakthroughs that will increase human health in later life.
The conference will explore how the science of aging is showing increasing power to address the
leading public health challenges of our time. Rapamycin, which can extend healthy life in mice,
is just one compound that provides the roadmap that can ultimately benefit human lifespan.
Leading scientists will discuss how it is realistically possible to develop interventions like these
that can stall the aging process with the goals of adding healthy years to life.
The conference will focus on the role(s) that TOR signaling plays in the major diseases related to
aging and how preemptive intervention may lessen their burden. These compounds are ripe for
discoveries of new and better drug therapies. Scientist’s and researchers will discuss the
feasibility of clinical trials for aging intervention and/or disease prevention.
Many of the researchers attending the conference believe that the recent success in lifespan
extension of mid- and late-age male and female mice by chronic treatments with the drug
rapamycin could lead to a new era of pharmacological intervention for aging and age related
diseases.
The conference will also spotlight recent discoveries of next generation mammalian TOR
inhibitors and delivery systems and address the questions: how can they best be used as tools to
better understand aging and will they be better or worse than rapamycin as potential
interventional approaches for the modulations of healthspan and lifespan?
WHEN:
Monday, October 4th 2010
WHERE:
The Union Club
101 E 69th Street
New York, New York 10065
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
AFAR Conference Schedule – Monday, October 4th 2010
7:30-8:30 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Schermerhorn Room, 2nd floor
8:30 am
Keynote: Chronic mTOR Inhibition by Rapamycin to Increase Healthspan
Z. Dave Sharp, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center
9:15 - 10:15 am
Session I: mTOR Signaling & Nutrient Signaling
TOR Signaling and the Control of Cell and Animal Growth
Michael Hall, PhD, University of Basel
mTOR Signaling, Cellular Energy Status and Aging
George Thomas, PhD, University of Cincinnati
Reactor: Steve Austad, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center
10:15 - 11:45 am
Session II: Translational Control
TOR Translation and Aging
Brian Kennedy, PhD, The Buck Institute
Coffee Break
TOR as a Conserved Pathway for Lifespan Extension
Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, The Buck Institute
Reactor: Roger McCarter, PhD, Pennsylvania State University
11:45 - 12:30pm
Session III: Role of mTOR Signaling in Synaptic Plasticity in Health and Disease
Eric Klann, PhD, New York University
Reactor: George M. Martin, MD, University of Washington
12:30 - 2:00pm
Lunch: Speakers assigned to tables for small-group discussion
2:00 - 2:45 pm
Closing Speaker: Looking Forward
mTOR and its Role in Growth Control and Aging
David Sabatini, MD, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2:45 - 4:00 pm
Translating Basic Research to Application: Where Will mTOR Take Us Now?
Panel Dialogue Sponsored by the NIA
Moderator: Felipe Sierra, PhD, National Institute on Aging
Featuring conference speakers.